Indicia display devices for displaying numerals, letters, and other indicia are used widely, for example, in athletic contests as scoreboards and timing clocks, and in commerical displays for trade exhibitions and conventions. In general, such devices previously available are cumbersome, bulky, and, when electrically-actuatable, have further required a complicated array and multiplicity of cabling and wiring means. Prior electrically actuatable display devices, accordingly have proven to be both relatively expensive and difficult to assemble for use. Due to such inherent limitations, therefore, in potential applications such as for essentially "one occurrence" or infrequently occurring events, such as basketball games, wrestling meets, track meets, swimming meets, and the like organized by relatively small prep schools, colleges, churches, parks, and commerically sponsored groups, often, and in the great majority of instances, have had to forego the utilization of a display device indicating scoring and timing to the participants and spectators attending such events.
Accordingly, a significant demand, among such organizations, has existed for a relatively inexpensive, efficient display device adapted for use at such events, which also is sufficiently portable and simple enough to install and operate that it could be feasibly purchased or rented and could be transported to the event site, installed, and operated, all by a single person not having any special training.